marginally significantp < 0.10
Covariates were selected based on the following criteria: (1) a priori knowledge from the literature, (2) significant or marginally significant differences in baseline characteristics between study groups ( p < 0.10), and (3) statistically significant associations ( p < 0.05) when included in initial LMMs. 65 To assess the persistence of treatment effects, WOMAC measures at baseline and at three months post-intervention were also compared.